Warning: session_start() [function.session-start]: open(/home/content/78/4549178/tmp/sess_3o3jjifhnaec4s0385a3h3bl60, O_RDWR) failed: No such file or directory (2) in /home/content/78/4549178/html/wp-content/plugins/session-manager/includes/sm_functions.include.php on line 510

Warning: session_start() [function.session-start]: Cannot send session cookie - headers already sent by (output started at /home/content/78/4549178/html/wp-content/plugins/session-manager/includes/sm_functions.include.php:510) in /home/content/78/4549178/html/wp-content/plugins/session-manager/includes/sm_functions.include.php on line 510

Bird Control for Big Box Stores

Written By: Dr. Rob Fergus

About: Dr. Rob Fergus is an ornithologist who specializes in urban ecology and human/wildlife interactions. Dr. Fergus received his Ph.D. in urban bird conservation from the University of Texas at Austin. He has teamed up with Bird-B-Gone as the official Bird-B-Gone Ornithologist to help close the gap between the science of nature, and the nature of bird control.

Every once in a while when I’m traveling, I see a House Sparrow flying around inside an airport terminal somewhere. One day I actually saw seven together when I was waiting for a connection in the Cincinnati Airport!

Airport terminals, retail stores, warehouses, and other large buildings often attract birds—usually house sparrows, European starlings, and rock pigeons (the more formal name ornithologists call pigeons). Keeping them off the building is usually possible with a well designed system of physical bird deterrents like bird spikes. But what can you do when the birds get inside the building?

First item of business if you have a bird inside is to figure out how the bird is getting in. If there aren’t obvious answers—like doors left open—then the bird is a messenger telling you that you have a hole or some other problem with your building that you need to fix to keep the bird out, and to keep your building climate controlled and otherwise secure.

If you have a warehouse or other building with open dock doors or other openings that are always open, keeping birds out will be more of a challenge. Look to see if you can install a door—or at least a vinyl strip doors or other type of seal or barrier. If you don’t seal up the door, you are going to have birds coming inside looking for nesting or food opportunities, or just to get in out of the weather. Urban sparrows, starlings, and pigeons are crafty creatures, always looking for ways to get inside. Some have even been observed waiting by doors or even triggering automatic doors to enter buildings!

After you’ve taken care of the source of your problem, how do you get the birds out? If possible, shut off all the lights in the building and open up the doors—birds will usually go towards the light and fly out on their own. If this isn’t possible, you can use a live trap to catch the birds and take them outside. Traps can also be used to catch and release birds that get inside if you aren’t able to seal up their entryway. Mist netting can be used by professional bird control specialists to remove birds as well. Birds fly into the net, get tangled and are taken outside and released.

House Sparrows, European Starlings, and Rock Pigeons are not native American bird species—they were brought here in past centuries—so they are not protected by federal laws that protect native birds. That means you can humanely dispatch the birds if need be, but it is always better to use non-lethal means to deal with your bird issues whenever possible. After all, removing the birds is not actually taking away the ability for new ones to return. Keeping birds out of your big box store should be easy enough to do with the simple steps outlined above.

If for some reason you still have trouble with birds, feel free to give us a call (toll free at 877-820-8205) to discuss Bird-B-Gone products that might work in your specific situation.

ONLY SLEEPING: Mt Lawley High School students thought sedated pigeons were suffering “agonizing deaths”. Picture: Richard Polden Source: Perth Now

MT LAWLEY Senior High School students were distressed to witness what they believed was the “agonizing death” of pigeons when a bird control program involving sedation was carried out during recess time.

The Guardian Express received an anonymous letter from a student’s parent who was concerned the students had seen the incident which they thought was caused when the pigeons ate “poisoned pellets”.

Education Department infrastructure executive director James Thom confirmed a pest control program was recently carried out while students were in the playground.

“Steps will be taken to ensure that in the future contractors carry out this work while students are inside,” he said.

From Bird-B-Gone:

Using sedatives or poisons to control birds creates an empty space that other birds can fill. It doesn’t address the features attracting birds to the area such a continuous food source - a scenario often seen on school campuses where students eat lunch. Had the school installed physical bird deterrents, such as bird spikes, they could have permanently addressed the problem while keeping things calm around campus.

To learn more about physical bird deterrents, visit http://www.birdbgone.com. Bird-B-Gone has a complete line of humane bird deterrents used to prevent birds from landing or nesting in unwanted areas.

The combination made a stinky smell—similar to that of sulfur-rich hot springs. The smell was greatest following the storms. Then debris covered up most of the bird poop-salt water cocktail, plant materials and bacteria that had soaked into the sand. But recent beach cleanups aimed at removing debris unleashed the stench again.

“We do not consider the odor dangerous,” Pryor said in an e-mail.

Over time, the surf and tides will sort and wash away the stinky matter, he said.

From Bird-B-Gone Inc.

Just last year, the Lompoc Record reported that it was an accumulation of pigeon droppings that had contaminated the water quality under the Pismo Beach Pier. Sure the stench may not be harmful, what about the bacteria found in bird droppings? It would take a lot of droppings to create such a stench – if it truly is the source of the “fowl” smell, the city may want to consider the health risk associated with the droppings. In small doses it usually doesn’t cause that big of a concern, but when found in such large quantities, health risks should be considered as bird droppings are known to carry bacteria and disease.

There are many products available to humanely deter birds from open spaces. Not sure which product is right for you? Contact our team of bird control engineers to help you choose and design the right bird deterrent system for you. Bird-B-Gone also has a network of authorized installers who can install bird control products call 1-800-392-6915 or visit http://www.birdbgone.com

SARASOTA COUNTY – Fishermen at the Venice Fishing Pier say dozens of pigeons began dying Monday morning. Turns out a pest control company for Sharky’s restaurant used a poison to rid the waterfront business from what they call a health hazard.

Noel Hackelberg says while fishing on the pier Monday, birds literally began to fall from the sky. “They were flopping around falling into the water. The guy was coming around trying to pick them up as fast as he could.”

Estimates from fisherman like Barry Garman say it was about 50 pigeons. He says it was a terrible sight. “It’s disgusting. There was a mom with a small child and she had to leave because the child was so upset to see what was going on. There was no warning to anybody that this was going to happen.”

On a windy Wednesday, birds swirled around the pier and restaurant. Manager Justin Pachota says they have a growing pigeon problem. “It is sort of a health risk. You have feathers and pigeon feces that are coming into play. We have had complaints from patrons.”

That’s why they say they hired someone to poison their plethora of pigeons after months of trying other non-lethal methods. “We tried sonic transmissions to keep the birds away, statues…transmitting eagle sounds.”

“This is quite upsetting.” Kevin Barton with the Wildlife Center of Venice says they’ve helped save some of the birds over the years and are concerned about what has happened; concerned for other protected birds there, too. “I care for all the animals, but when you are talking about the potential. We got reports that a Bald Eagle had caught two. It would not surprise me.

There are many humane alternatives to lethal bird control and a few reasons why physical bird deterrents may be more effective. Poisoning birds is not only inhumane and a potential PR disaster, it’s really only putting a band-aid on an existing problem. Removing birds does not address the factors that are attracting the birds to the affected area in the first place. Once you remove birds from a property, you are simply leaving vacancy for new ones to move in. Addressing the reason why the birds are attracted to the area, by using physical bird deterrents such as Bird Spikes or Bird Netting will yield lasting results.

If you have a pest bird problem, Bird-B-Gone can help in a few ways. If you want a professional to come out and take care of the situation, Bird-B-Gone works with a network of authorized installers across the U.S. who can help solve bird problems for homes and commercial and industrial buildings. If you are a pest control operator or installer, Bird-B-Gone offers a complete line of professional grade bird deterrents to accommodate your customer’s needs. Give us a call at 1-800-392-6915, email us at nobirds@birdbgone.com, or visit http://www.birdbgone.com.